Janna's Favorites 2023
Amazon Prime Day is July 11 - 12, 2023!
Here is a quick compilation of items that I have particularly enjoyed for both playing and teaching in the past year. Let me know in the comments what your 2023 favorites have been!
favorite equipment and office supplies:
CLIP ON LIGHT for grand piano - This is an amazing light. It charges with a USBC charger and has various brightness and color settings. It’s lightweight, flexible, and safely clips on to any grand piano music rack or music stand!
SEASONAL STICKERS - my students have found many seasonal- or holiday-appropriate stickers from these packs. I’ll admit there are some humorous and conversation-starting individual stickers included.
BEST PENS - I am a firm believer that these are the world’s best pens. I am not open to argument on this fact. 😂
The 0.7mm is a bit thick, so if you prefer a finer point, check out the G-2 05.
most recommended books and REPERTOIRE:
PROFESSIONAL PIANO TEACHING, VOLUME 2 - This is the book I most frequently recommend in videos and consultations on the topic of intermediate to advanced teaching. It’s written more like a reference or text book, with several lists and tables that are excellent reference points for beginning teachers as well as veterans.
ATOMIC HABITS - Given that I think that piano practice should be habitual, this book is a must-read for pianists and piano teachers. I’m currently working on a resource for families about creating a practice habit using James Clear’s four laws of habit creation. If you’re interested in that, please contact me using the button above.
LES PETITES IMPRESSIONS - I’ve been recommending this book by Jennifer Linn for years. It contains delightful pieces that help students prepare for works by Claude Debussy; therefore, I frequently reference it in videos, such as my video covering Clair de lune. Two of my students used this book this year and really enjoyed it!
My two most-recommended repertoire series for teachers desiring a graded intermediate series are Jane Magrath’s Masterwork Classics and Helen Marlais’ Succeeding With the Masters: Festival Collection. I use these series with multiple students every week in my studio. If you’re interested in more information about intermediate repertoire series in general, please click here.
By way of example, I am linking book 4 in each series - click the images to purchase:
Last, but not least: THE HEART OF A WOMAN - The Life and Music of Florence B. Price was my beach read on our recent vacation. This is a fabulous book. If you enjoy American history, African American history, music history, or biographies of exceptional individuals, you will enjoy this.
The above are Amazon affiliate links. If you click on a product link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no charge to you.
